Death Metal

Serocs – The Next Review

By Dr. Fisting on September 22, 2013 in 2013, Death Metal, Mexican Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 4 comments

Serocs began back in 2009 as a one-man operation, founded by Mexico-based guitarist Antonio Freyre. After a couple of EP releases, their debut full-length Oneirology finally surfaced a year ago. In the short time since then, Serocs has become a multi-national death metal conglomerate, with Freyre recruiting members of Vile, Monstrosity and Lecherous Nocturne (not to mention a whole shitload of guest appearances). For all the tech-death credentials of this group, the result is heavy on the “death” and short on “tech.” Mexican death metal is a special beast and Mr. Fisting knows his Mexican death!

Ulcerate – Vermis Review

By Jordan Campbell on September 4, 2013 in 2013, Death Metal, New Zealand Metal, Relapse, Reviews, Death Metal, 5 comments

“Ulcerate’s emergence was rather inauspicious. Their first work, The Coming of Genocide, didn’t hold much promise. It was pretty standard for mid-aughts uber-blast brutality, assaultive to the point of redundancy. But there were some gnarly guitar squalls nestled in their amateurish blastfuckery, and on their first true album, Of Fracture and Failure, things started to get wild. Then, Everything is Fire happened, and things got real.” First Carcass and now this? It’s all big releases, all the time and and Jordan Campbell is on the job with his always insightful musings.

Carcass – Surgical Steel Review

By Dr. Fisting on September 3, 2013 in 2013, Death Metal, English Metal, Heavy Metal, Nuclear Blast, Rating, Reviews, Death Metal, Grind, 48 comments

“What time is it? It’s motherfucking Carcass time, people. If you’re anything like me, you felt cheated by their “final” album Swansong back in ’96, and the legions of Heartwork-inspired posers failed miserably to fill the void. You may have given up hope on any kind of closure, until the band’s return to live work in 2007. Since then, it’s been a waiting game, a simple “will they or won’t they” concerning new music. And now, after a 17-year wait, the answer comes in the form of the brilliantly-titled Surgical Steel…” What’s the verdict? Only time, and your scrolly button, can tell!

Ataraxie – L’Être et la Nausée Review

By Noctus on August 28, 2013 in 2013, 4.5, Death Metal, Doom Metal, French Metal, Reviews, Weird Truth Productions, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 7 comments

“Jesus fucking Christ. From the moment the teaser came up on the YouTube showcasing some of the most foreboding death/doom I’ve heard in recent memory, I knew this album would be good; no question about that. Dealing with the subject of insanity and sickness, there really is no better genre of metal to match it — the crushing weight of sound along with the jarring shifts in tempo make it the perfect medium for some seriously skin-crawling material. The potential for this album was huge, especially knowing the track record this band has for great releases; Slow Transcending Agony being one of my go-to death/doom records. But it posed risks, the biggest being the length — keeping one’s attention for a double album.” Noctus isn’t afraid of a double album of hostile funeral doom/death, but should you be?

Witherscape – The Inheritance Review

By Steel Druhm on August 13, 2013 in 2013, 4.0, Century Media, Death Metal, Progressive Death, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 17 comments

“There are few sure things in the world, but there’s one name that screams quality and excellence and that name is Dan Fucking Swanö. From his work on top-notch death metal albums like Edge of Sanity’s Crimson, his collarboration with Bloodbath, Threshold and Demiurg and his proggy solo albums like Moontower, the man has the midas touch and one of the best death roars of all time. He’s also a producer extraordinaire and perhaps the best at making death metal sound the way it should. Witherscape takes his hefty talents and pairs them with unknown instrumentalist Ragnar Widerberg and the result is a concept album about a gothic insane asylum and evil goings on. Musically, it’s a stunning mash-up of Crimson, Damnation-era Opeth, Omnium Gatherum, Mercyful Fate and even King Crimson.” Steel Druhm has a mancrush on Dan Swanö and you should too, unless you’re a woman. Join him as he explains why Witherscape justifies his love.

Impiety – The Impious Crusade Review

By Happy Metal Guy on August 11, 2013 in 2.5, 2013, Black Metal, Death Metal, Hells Headbangers Records, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 0 comments

“Oh, look: Yet another short release from quasi-Singaporean blackened death metal squad Impiety. In fact, it’s their sixth EP. Happy Metal Guy doesn’t know if these goat-obsessed militants are just too darned impatient to accumulate enough material to release as full-length albums or overly-attention-seeking dudes who can’t stand not having people talking about and spreading their music around on social media platforms every half a year or so.” Happy Metal Guy tangles with Impiety and their artwork once again. The safe money is on Impiety.

Mammoth Grinder – Underworlds Review

By Steel Druhm on July 27, 2013 in 20 Buck Spin, 3.5, American Metal, Death Metal, Grind, Hardcore, Death Metal, Grind, 9 comments

“You may have noticed a tendency of the AMG staff to carp, whine and bitch about albums being too long and including too much filler. It’s a sad truism that because CDs are capable of holding 75 minutes of tuneage, way too many bands think they have 75 minutes worth of quality music when usually…they don’t. Mammoth Grinder are the exception to that rule and their Underworlds album clocks in at a lean, mean twenty-eight minutes and it feels as refreshing as a bath in a mountain lake.” Pressed for time? Need your ass kicked quickly and fully. Hire a Mammoth!

Torture Division – The Worship Review

By Angry Metal Guy on July 26, 2013 in 2013, 4.0, Death Metal, Grind, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Death Metal, Grind, 4 comments

Torture Division is what some would call a “supergroup,” made up of Lord K. Philipson (The Project Hate, ex-God Among Insects), Jörgen Sandström (Krux, The Project Hate, ex-Grave, ex-Putrefaction), and Tobias Gustafsson (Vomitory, The Project Hate). And let’s just say that these guys play a mean fiddle.

Lord Dying – Summon the Faithless Review

By Alex Franquelli on July 19, 2013 in 2013, 3.5, American Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Relapse, Reviews, Sludge, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge, 1 comment

“It’s all about the modes of production. Our own lives follow prearranged paths and are shaped around certain dynamics; we are not even ‘what’ we produce, but rather ‘how much’ we render to society. And it all goes in circles. The past is gone but we cling to it and although we sometimes deny its intrinsic value, we end up imitating its excesses. Ever played Earth, Wind & Fire in your car stereo? Of course not! But only those who don’t own a car can be trusted when they say they didn’t zap when Daft Punk’s horrific, ghastly latest single horribly graced their radio’s frequencies. The same goes with metal. There is nothing new and what is new is not metal. Therefore Lord Dying have spawned a great record.” Alex issues forth on what is old, new, borrowed and blue and also reviews a pretty smacking records from genre blenders Lord Dying. Oh, that Alex!

Mercenary – Through Our Darkest Days Review

By Steel Druhm on July 14, 2013 in 2013, 3.5, Danish Metal, Death Metal, Metalcore, NoiseArt Records, Reviews, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Thrash Metal, 15 comments

“Mercenary is a band that’s given me fits over their career. I was very much taken with their fusion of melodic death, power-prog and metalcore on early albums like Everblack and especially The Hours That Remain. Architect of Lies lost some of the charm the older stuff had and didn’t hit me as hard, but it was still decent. However, things really fell apart on their 2011 Metamorphosis release which came across like a generic mix of emo/screamo metalcore and pop. I wrote it off to the massive line up changes the band was weathering at the time and there were a few decent tunes that gave hope they could regain their footing on subsequent releases. Despite this half-hearted optimism, the eternal Law of Dimishing Returns suggested their best days were behind them and I wouldn’t find much to praise on their new album.” Can Mercenary get themselves back on track or is this another nose dive into metalcore hell? Steel Druhm has thoughts and conclusions.